One thing I have noticed. Normally when I want to edit a picture I open it from Windows Gallery and select Elements from the options displayed when I click on the "Open" drop menu; LR is not listed as an option so I guess I'll need to use a different method of importing into LR.

The last option in that list is Choose Program so just click on that, then click on Browse and navigate to (on my system anyway) C: \Program Files\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 3.6\Lightroom.exe

I see you have been getting along fine without me! Yesterday was a busy day - in fact John I could have dropped in to say hello yesterday afternoon as Julia and I were at Maggots End, near Bishops Stortford, to pick up some more rescued ex-battery hens, and then I was off to Park Cameras in West Sussex, so about 250 miles all told in the car!

Back to Lightroom, I think the best thing to do is to import a small selection of images to start off with.

1. Open the Import box via File > Import or click Import button in the Library, or simply drag and drop a folder or file onto the Library display. If you are importing a folder, check the box that says sub folders too if you want all folders imported.

2. In the Import box, examine the right hand panel carefully and choose the options you wish. I can look at these in detail later if necessary, but basically here you can choose where the imported files go, whether they should be renamed according to rules, whether pre-set metadata should associated (name, copyright, location, etc.), the size of generated previews, etc.

3. Once you have a growing library you may occasionally find that some of the selected images previewed as thumbnails in the import box will be darkened and un-checked. This is because (if set in preferences) Lightroom has identified that these images duplicates with an original already in the catalogue you are importing into.

4. I haven't touched on catalogues or collections yet, but we can look at these later. Basically, you will be starting off by importing into the default catalogue.

Remember, Lightroom does not change your original files at all. It creates a database that stores information about each of your image files.

I think it is important to take things in small steps so that is enough for now - try importing a small number of files and let's take it from there.

I see you have been getting along fine without me! Yesterday was a busy day - in fact John I could have dropped in to say hello yesterday afternoon as Julia and I were at Maggots End, near Bishops Stortford, to pick up some more rescued ex-battery hens, and then I was off to Park Cameras in West Sussex, so about 250 miles all told in the car!

Back to Lightroom, I think the best thing to do is to import a small selection of images to start off with.

1. Open the Import box via File > Import or click Import button in the Library, or simply drag and drop a folder or file onto the Library display. If you are importing a folder, check the box that says sub folders too if you want all folders imported.

2. In the Import box, examine the right hand panel carefully and choose the options you wish. I can look at these in detail later if necessary, but basically here you can choose where the imported files go, whether they should be renamed according to rules, whether pre-set metadata should associated (name, copyright, location, etc.), the size of generated previews, etc.

3. Once you have a growing library you may occasionally find that some of the selected images previewed as thumbnails in the import box will be darkened and un-checked. This is because (if set in preferences) Lightroom has identified that these images duplicates with an original already in the catalogue you are importing into.

4. I haven't touched on catalogues or collections yet, but we can look at these later. Basically, you will be starting off by importing into the default catalogue.

Remember, Lightroom does not change your original files at all. It creates a database that stores information about each of your image files.

I think it is important to take things in small steps so that is enough for now - try importing a small number of files and let's take it from there.

Ian

Hi Ian,

I've managed to import a set of pictures into Lightroom. I seem to have quite a number of random pictures in LR as well, which confused me at first, but I suspect what has happened is that the catalogue from Elements has been transferred and I never used that. Still, no harm done.

__________________John Perriment

A photograph is more than a record of what you see - it's a window to your soul

Following the successful import of a few sets of pictures I've been familiarizing myself with some of the adjustments and tools available. Many of these are similar to ACR/Elements plus there are some useful preset styles for B&W etc and the graduated filter also seems useful. My problem at the moment is that I forget how I found some of these features but I'm sure I'll get used to it eventually. I suspect that the main advantage over Elements will be the ability to save time by processing in batches, which I assume willl work best with shoots where the light is constant.

__________________John Perriment

A photograph is more than a record of what you see - it's a window to your soul

Following the successful import of a few sets of pictures I've been familiarizing myself with some of the adjustments and tools available. Many of these are similar to ACR/Elements plus there are some useful preset styles for B&W etc and the graduated filter also seems useful. My problem at the moment is that I forget how I found some of these features but I'm sure I'll get used to it eventually. I suspect that the main advantage over Elements will be the ability to save time by processing in batches, which I assume willl work best with shoots where the light is constant.

You don't need to load, adjust, save, with a new file name as you do in a traditional image editor. Just fire up Lightroom, peruse the library or do a keyword search (you can also search using metadata like aperture used, ISO setting, shutter speed, etc., or by camera or lens used, and so on. Then select the Develop mode, adjust away, move from image to image - no saving, remember, it's all remembered you can simply travel forwards and backwards in time going back to stages where perhaps just before your adjustments went off in the wrong direction. You can close Lightroom down and later start it again - nothing to save or load - it opens where you last left it. It's magic - and that's not the half of it.

John I'd suggest exporting a srgb jpeg of the finished images to another folder for browsing at full screen as LR is not the fastest image browser about, plus if you like to use window viewer or other viewing software it will not display the edits made in LR.
I do this what ever raw software I am using just as a matter of convenience but it is up to you.

__________________
Regards Paul.
One day I hope to be the person my dogs think I am.